Röchling Automotive has completed a second significant plant expansion project in Romania which will allow it to supply advanced components to leading global vehicle manufacturers.
With its sister injection molder Röchling Precision Components and Italian joint venture partner, Errecinque , the company officially launched a 7,500-square-meter production hall near Piteşti, Romania.
Opening for the extended facility took place June 19 with senior management board members, regional Romanian officials and Piteşti town mayor Constantin Bilea.
The latest enlargement took the plant's total area to 16,100 square meters following an earlier expansion project which added 1,600 square meters of extra work space in 2014.
The site employs 182 working on the production of fuel-saving and emission-reducing technologies such as the firm's SCR exhaust gas after-treatment and filling system and the controllable air flap unit of its active grille shutter system (AGS).
The company, part of Mannheim, Germany-based technical plastics processor Röchling Group, also makes cowl grilles and compact and lightweight intake manifold and air filter systems at the Romanian site.
In addition, Röchling Precision Components turns out a range of component housings and precision parts there. The plant makes parts for automakers including Volkswagen, Ford, Daimler and Renault/Dacia.
“[The site] is an important site for our growing worldwide business with new product innovations and technologies. In addition, we support customers with local production,” CEO Erwin Doll said.
Family-owned Röchling Group, with production across Europe, Asia and the Americas, makes technical plastics components for medical equipment and other industrial customers, but automotive represents the biggest sales share.
Röchling also recently expanded at a site near Valencia, Spain, opening a 1,500-square-meter production hall that will allow Plásticos Técnicos S.A.U. to hit shorter delivery times and accommodate continuing business growth.
The Spanish firm specializes in machining custom produced parts and supplies semi-finished and fiber-reinforced plastic products to customers in the chemicals, food, renewable energy and lining technology sectors